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World Premiere at the
New York Musical Theatre Festival
Sept. 22-Oct. 1, 2005
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Theatre at St. Clements
423 W. 46th St. - New York, NY
ORPHAN TRAIN
book by L.E. McCullough
lyrics by Michael Barry Greer
music by Doug Katsaros
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* Directed by PATRICIA BIRCH *
* Produced by JONATHAN STUART CERULLO *
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New York City 1872. . . Thousands of orphans throng the streets of a city wracked by crime, pestilence and economic chaos.
Young minister Charles Loring Brace has a solution both moral and practical: send these "surplus" children to new
families in the West, saving lives and souls. . . and providing cheap labor for the nation's expanding frontier.
ORPHAN TRAIN follows a spirited group of orphans as they embark upon the greatest adventure of their young lives. Some
will find comfort and fulfillment of dreams, others misery and peril worse than what they left behind. And when the program
is threatened by scandal, will Rev. Brace have the force and courage to save it?
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Rev. Charles Loring Brace (1826-1890) was a tireless reformer and social visionary who created the Children's Aid Society,
still in existence today in New York City and still actively working to fulfill its founder's dream of providing opportunity
for poor urban children to grow to adulthood in homes that provide love, respect and economic stability.
ORPHAN TRAIN is no distant history lesson. Take a moment and look around at our country today:
U.S.A. 2005: Weekly reports of children kidnapped from their homes. . . tens of thousands of children lost within bureaucratic
foster care mazes. . . youth gang membership at all-time high. . . 15 million American children (1 of 4) live in poverty.
. . 2 million children homeless. . . 8 million taking anti-depressants. . .
ORPHAN TRAIN is a powerful reminder of how a nation and its character are built -- one child, one family at a time.
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ORPHAN TRAIN...Premiering
at the 2005 New York
Musical Theatre Festival
(www.nymf.org)
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Call (212) 352-3101
For Tickets Today!
(An Entirely Reasonable $15.00)
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Now more than ever, American audiences are eager for epic tales of the everyday heroes and heroines who shaped American history
and American values. ORPHAN TRAIN brings to the stage a gripping true-life tale that will have audiences laughing, crying
and cheering.
It is a play that says, "You, too, can make a difference."
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ORPHAN TRAIN features 24 songs in a vibrant score that combines period flavor with contemporary style. Book and lyrics
evoke the genuine voices of 1870s' New York street urchins and the hardscrabble Western frontier.
With expert direction by legendary Emmy Award-winning choreographer Patricia Birch, the 15-member ensemble tells the story
of America's "surplus children" with unforgettable poignancy and power.
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ORPHAN TRAIN SHOW TIMES:
Sept. 22 at 8:00 p.m. *** Sept. 24 at 1:00 p.m.
Sept. 28 at 2:00 p.m. *** Sept. 30 at 9:00 p.m
Oct. 1 at 1:00 p.m. *** Oct. 1 at 5:00 p.m.
© 2005 L.E. McCullough, Michael Barry Greer, Doug Katsaros
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